World Reviewer rating

Timewheel

The world’s largest hourglass isn’t going to appeal to everyone, but for horologists and other clock lovers who aren’t enthusiastic enough to know their Greek title, this is a pretty cool thing. It’s made of granite, glass and steel and 60 tonnes, minus the weight of the clock, worth of sand - or more specifically glass granules. The best thing about it is that works – but not just over the course of a day, over the course of a year! As the final granules pour downwards as midnight on the 31st draws near, a team of four people are rigging up a harness and cables to turn it upside down and start again. This operation in manual labour seems the fallible element, and it takes 45 minutes, but apparently that’s factored in as well. You don’t have to be a geek to think that’s pretty cool.

The Timewheel has been doing its thing just off Heroes Square since the 1st of May 2004, when it was launched to coincide with the enlarging of the EU.